bonds that surpass death
by WOof HeAD
Summary: before it started. before it happened. two past lives,and one a hundred year bond. two that were tied together strongly,overcome the obstacle of death. a one shot.


**Thanks for reading, at the beginning the story is sort of old fashioned, but it gets modern quickly so bear with me.  
Just for future reference in this story, strawberry pronounced in Japanese is 'ichigo' (if you didn't know ;)**

ICHIGO'S POV

In this time and place, none have names, yet we do have titles. I am 'the protector', which is what people call me formally, though; most people who are close to me have a shortened, word length name for me. It's strawberry, and no, I am not proud of it.

I have a few friends, their nicknames are 'Renji' 'Toshiro' 'Rangiku' and the one I am closest to is 'Rukia'.

Of course they all have real titles, all reflecting their personalities, um, except for Rangiku. Her parents thought her to be the devils spawn, so she has no title.

Renji is simply 'the loyal' Toshiro is 'the god of ice' and Rukia is 'the ice maiden'. All pretty dang corny, right?

We all have our jokes about rangiku's title; she calls her self 'the goddess of the wonderfully proportioned'.

Currently we were all walking down a path, next to a stunning, fast flowing stream.

'Rangiku, stop it!' toshiro whined, sounding the little kid he looked like. Rangiku was poking him in the stomach as we walked, making him burst into random fits of laughter, which consequentially made us all laugh.

Lately Rangiku and toshiro had become a sort of 'thing', I didn't understand it myself, but hey! If they were happy, it's all good!

As if sensing my thoughts Rangiku bent down and kissed toshiro on the cheek. I grimaced. 'EW, guys! Do that somewhere freaking private, I don't want to watch!' I yelled at them jokingly

'Aw, strawberry!' Rukia started 'you're just jealous because you aren't going out with anyone!'

'Yeah! That's it!' I replied cheerfully (and also sarcastically).

'Well if that's all it is, do you want to go out on a date with me Friday?' Renji asked, whilst managing a straight face.

The response would've been explosive that was if Byakuya hadn't walked past and stopped right at the moment the comment was made. Everyone calls him Byakuya because his title is so long and nobody can remember it.

He stood there, mouth agape and un-moving. We took the opportunity and bolted.

We ended up about a mile off the river and into the fringe of the woods. That was when we started laughing.

After our stomachs started aching from laughter, Rangiku and toshiro made their leave.

'So what do you guys want to do?' asked Rukia.

'Well…' Renji droned. 'I dunno, might head home' and with a smile Renji left.

So it was just me and Rukia, 'what do you want to do?' I asked Rukia.

'Lets go walk in the stream, I wasn't wearing any shoes when we ran' and with that she pretty much dragged me into the shallows of the small river.

The soft mud felt nice under my feet, but it was also slippery. Rukia had almost fallen several times.

'So, how was your day today, ichigo?'

'Well you were there for most of it,'

Just then, I slipped.

Rukia caught me by the shoulders, steadying me and also pushing my feet deeper into the mud. We were about eye level when she slipped.

Right onto my freaking face, and then we were kissing.

It wasn't a real kiss of course, it didn't mean anything because it was just two accidental, coincidental slips, that placed her face on mine. Neither of us was moving either, not closer nor away from each other.

Her lips were so soft and warm, oh god, I wanted to kiss her so much. She obviously did too...

Then you know what? We heard Renji yelp in surprise. We both broke apart, her jumping about a meter backwards and me falling into the water.

At least the icy stream was cooling my furiously blushing cheeks.

It was going to be fun explaining this to Renji. I thought I would stay underwater for a while…

When I re-surfaced, Rukia was still blushing and attempting to explain to a very flustered Renji.

He looked almost disappointed?

Knowing Renji, as soon as he saw us, um, kissing, he probably would've thought that he was going to be the loner.

Or maybe he liked Rukia…

I decided to yank my feet out of the mud, and deal with this the way I usually do, with brilliant wits and charm!

I trudged over to the pair and said 'aw, Renji! I'm sorry I couldn't go out on that date with you! Not my fault I like Ru-ru better!' and then I walked away, leaving a confused looking Renji and a fuming Rukia behind me.

The next morning I woke to Rangiku hanging over my face with drool suspended, hanging out of her mouth around an inch above my forehead. When she saw my eyes were open she sucked it into her mouth and cried out 'everyone! He's awake'

'No, shit,' I said to that.

I felt as if I had been asleep for ages, then I looked around the room and realized it was a hospital. 'Oh, joy' I was surrounded by the concerned looking faces of my friends and doctors.

'A morning welcoming party, how nice.'

I climbed out of the hospital bed and stood, then looked down at what I was wearing.

A white hospital gown with a dinosaur print, nobody is ever going to let me forget this.

Yet the only person who even looked slightly amused was Renji, and rightly so.

'Why am I here anyways?'

One of the doctors stood forward and said 'my team and I think you are gaining some sort of special ability, you went into a minor four-day coma while your body was adjusting'

Was it that me or did that sound not good?

By the surprised looks on everyone's faces, I guess they hadn't been told yet.

'Gee, well hasn't this been a fun-filled day! If you don't mind, I'll be going home now.' I said to the doctors

'If you don't mind, we'd like to keep you in here for a while for observation,' one of the doctors replied.

'How about I, kick you, in the face,' I said as I landed a full blown face kick to the doctor's head 'and then I leave' I said walking out the door.

Rukia was the quickest one to recover from my last outburst, and quickly caught me while I was asking a nurse 'what do you have to do to get some decent clothes around here?'

I know, I know, the hospital jammies are comfy, but walking around in public? I'd rather be in jeans and a t-shirt.

'Ichigo! That was completely unnecessary, and barbaric!' Rukia said, approaching quickly behind me.

'Aw come on Rukia! We both know you wanted to kick him too,' I replied, she blushed heavily.

The nurse pointed to a storeroom closet and then sort of speed-walked away.

I turned and walked for the closet, hoping maybe they held some of the clothes of a dearly departed fashion freak,  
Male preferably.

I was searching the closet, and just when I found some nice, black denim jeans I heard Rukia close the door behind her.

'You know Rukia, I could take advantage of us being in a closed small spaced storeroom together,' I said to her. Instead I started getting changed into my newly found black jeans and a dark shirt.

Rukia took a deep breath, sounded like a sigh or, like she wanted to tell me something, but she didn't quite want to say it out loud.

Let's just hope it isn't going to be a love confession or something, I'd probably freak.

'I'm just going to go home 'kay?' I said to Rukia as I opened the door.

And everyone was standing outside with their ears cupped to the wall.

They'd just heard me say to Rukia 'You know Rukia; I could take advantage of us being in a closed small spaced storeroom together,' and then heard me take off my clothes and Rukia sighing.

You know what? I'm not even going to bother.

I stalked past all of them in complete ignorance, and walked out the door. After I was outside, I started running. I didn't know where I was going, and I didn't really care. I just wanted to get away from everything confusing and move to a place where everything made sense, but I couldn't do that because that would be like running and I am not a coward. I was going to stay, and endure.

I was hoping that Rukia had told our friends something that I would've said, not the totally stupid truth. Nothing even happened, but I knew that Renji would never let go of it, and say that we were lying to hide the 'embarrassing truth' as he usually puts it. That man can be so freaking annoying!

It was the next day and I was walking towards our regular meeting place, where they all stood to my disappointment. I was really hoping that they'd all caught a dramatic case of the flu, or gone into a minor coma like me, so I wouldn't have to confirm exactly what happened in that stupid storeroom closet.

Rukia had startled me by ignoring me, which made her all the more desirable. This is something a little like how our greetings went.

'Hey toshiro, Rangiku, Renji, Rukia' I said with a nod

Toshiro unsuccessfully suppressed laughter, Rangiku greeted me cheerfully, Renji and I punched fists and he said to me 'you the man,' as stupid as it might sound, that acknowledgment made me sort of happy. Until Rukia avoided eye contact and didn't greet me with her usual kick to the shins, can't say I really missed it that much though, I was developing a pretty nasty bruise.

Fine, I thought to myself. I'm her best friend she won't last too long without me.

After a while I was totally miserable that she wasn't talking too me. Whatever stupid whim she was going through I was so going to give her shit after it was over.

I decided to ask her second closest friend if he knew anything. 'Renji, will you come talk to me for a bit in private?' I asked.

'Sure,' he replied cheerfully, like he was happy of Rukia's wish to avoid me. What an ass hole.

We started walking towards a secluded corner, so I started talking.

'Renji, why is Rukia avoiding me?' I asked bluntly

'I don't know, man, but I think it's damn funny,'

Jeez, what a helpful answer, don't think I could've thought of a better one myself!

Then unexpectedly, Renji sobered and continued talking 'look man, I really don't know what's got into her,

But the ways she's acting, I think she might be scared of falling in LOVE with you! I mean ew man.'

Instinctively, her being my best friend, I had to defend whatever she was feeling, even if it was completely irrational and made me blush. 'Man! Lay off her, stop being such an asshat!' I sort of yelled at him,  
'asshat?' he asked questiongly, a smile leaking onto his face. Then we were both laughing, he was supporting himself on my shoulder, when I noticed those piercing violet eyes resting on my face.

I stopped laughing and turned to gaze at her. The creamy skin on her face started to tint towards pink, but she didn't avert her gaze.  
That made me happy, jeez; I'm a pathetic excuse for a human being! Being happy because my best friend looked at me!  
Mental note to self; man up! I'm turning into a freaking sissy!

Renji elbowed me in the side to get my attention 'your blushing~ bright red!'  
'Aw, how cute~' Rangiku mused.  
Everyone was really starting to piss me off lately.  
I wonder if they made up a contest to see who could annoy me more. (Mental image of all friends huddling together, discussing ichigo's mental demise...)

I really hate the mushy sharing of feelings that it looked like this was turning into, so I turned and walked away, hoping to maybe find a nice bar along the way home.  
Then I noticed some light foot-steps coming from behind me, ones that sound as if they come from a short person, it was either Rukia or toshiro. The toshiro option didn't sound too likely.

I spun on my heel, and then caught my breath. She was closer than I thought.

Her head tilted downward, she was looking at the ground shuffling awkwardly.  
I didn't feel like this kind of bullshit so I took the quarter of a necessary step to be close enough to see my breath move the hair on the top of her head.  
I then grabbed her chin, and yanked her face up so she had to look at me.  
'What the hell's wrong with me?' I said to her, sounding a million times calmer than how I felt.  
I saw a tear well up in her eye, and I let my legs collapse from under me.

I lay down, and rolled over onto my back, and looked into the sky. I was looking for some clouds to distract myself with, but the sky was incredibly bear.  
I heard Rukia lay down next to me, so I rolled onto my side to look at her, 'rukes?' I asked 'when did things ever get so weird between us?'  
I heard her let out a small giggle. I really don't see how this situation could be funny in the least. 'Name one point in time where our relationship was normal.' she explained.  
She had a damn good point.  
She rolled over and hugged me. It didn't feel romantic or anything, it felt like acceptance.  
Like if I had her, it wouldn't matter if the rest of the whole entire world hated me.  
I wrapped my arms around her and she started crying into my shoulder.

I looked over her shoulder at where we were. We were lying on the path near that stream. The stream with the stupid mud.  
On the other side of the stream Rangiku was sitting. No toshiro or Renji, just Rangiku, smiling fondly at us. She saw my gaze and gave a half-hearted wave before standing and walking away, apparently granting us some sort of privacy. I was grateful.

'I know this might sound insensitive or something, but why are you crying?' I asked Rukia, I was really clueless.  
She started laughing through her sobs and said 'I really don't know.'  
We stayed like that until dark, talking about random memories we had of each other. We had known each other since we were freaking infants, so we had quite a lot to talk about.  
After that I walked Rukia home and took the short path to my house.  
I don't really remember what happened the two days after that. All I remember is that Rukia disappeared and I went into a sort of trance because she was gone.  
After the third day, I was still in a trance but I had enough consciousness left to notice Renji pulling on my arm, leading me to Rukia's house to find out what happened to her.

Once we got there he let go of my arm, after that I didn't move, I stood there, without the will to do anything.

I could see through the window, into Rukia's bedroom.  
On her bed, she was lying. Her body twisted in unnatural angles and dried blood escaping from stab wounds on her chest.  
A single tear dropped onto the pavement below me, and then I started running for that goddamned stream.

It was there that I drowned myself.

100 or so years later...

A young girl with creamy skin and sharp eyes balances on the top of a telegraph pole, dressed in a shihakshou, blacker than a crows feather, reciting to herself these words  
'we stand in awe, before that which cannot be seen. And respect with every fiber of that which cannot be explained... I sense strong spirit energy close by' and then she leaped off her perch by the moon's side.

And so fell the sword of fate...

Meanwhile...

'You got a death wish pal?' a burly looking man growled at a slight vivid-haired boy, in a high school uniform.  
'nobody jumps one of my boys with no reason and lives to tell about it,' he continued  
the boy just replied with a bored 'mmhp' and continued ruffling his already spiky hair.  
'That's all you gotta say?!' the burly looking man piped up, whilst aiming his fist at the boy.

The boy lifted his foot effortlessly and kicked the bigger man in the face, then continued by stomping on the mans back several times.  
The rest of the mans' gang cowered, debating on whether to save their leader or not. They chose not.

The boy stopped kicking the mans back and started crushing the mans face into the pavement.

Then the boy started to talk, 'now listen up you pond scum, do you see that?!!' he said whilst jabbing his arm in the direction of a knocked over glass bottle with now limp looking flowers hanging out in a puddle of spilt water.

'First question,' the boy snarled 'what do you think that is?  
You! The one in the middle! Answer.'  
The man in the middle of the three whimpered then looked to both of his sides, realizing he was in the middle he said 'what?! You talking to me?! I guess somebody left those flowers for some kid who got killed here,' he was interrupted by the boy unexpectedly delivering a blow to under the mans chin 'correct!' said the boy as the fully grown man fall to the floor. 'Now the next question,' the boy said, looking up at one of the other men from his landing crouch. 'That vase over there, why is it lying on its side???'  
Both of the men looked taken aback 'I guess one if us knocked it over when we were skate-boarding through here, we jus-' the boy cut him off by doing a spinning kick and knocking their heads to the ground 'you guys catch on fast,' the boy said evilly 'now go and apologize or the next time the flowers will be for you!!!' the boy continued, he looked like the incarnation of Satan himself.

The men started bowing down and apologizing fervently to the telegraph pole.

'there,' the boy said calmly 'that outa keep those punks from showing their ugly faces around here,'  
The boy looked around fifteen or sixteen,  
he turned to face the telegraph pole and the makeshift vase with the soggy white flowers.  
'Sorry about all that,' he continued as a transparent being of a small girl showed hovering above the vase. 'I'll bring you by some new flowers tomorrow.'  
The girl had a chain protruding from her chest, it chinked as she spoke 'thank you for coming to my defense, I think now I'll finally be able to rest peacefully.' the boy reached down and set the vase back to it's original standing position 'no problem, it's the least I could do,' he said reasonably 'after all,' he said turning around 'you deserve to rest in peace.' he said waving. The girl vanished.

My name is ichigo kurosaki, I'm 15 years old, so I'm a high school student. My family runs a medical clinic here in this town. Maybe it's because we're trusted with the lives of the living, I'm not sure, but for as long as I can remember, I've been able to see the souls of the dearly departed.

The next day some pretty strange attacks happened...

That night, I was lying awake in my bed, staring up at the moon, when I saw a black butterfly, followed by a midget in a black kimono thing. I don't know what it was, but there was something so nostalgic about that face....

**Did you like it?  
Most was off memory so I hope I got the last bit right :)**

Review please

Review review reveiw  
Love ya all WOof heAD^_^


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